Software-defined multi-mode RFID read devices

ABSTRACT

Devices and methods for reading multiple types of RFID tags having different frequencies and/or encoding schemes are disclosed. One or more search signals covering a plurality of RFID bands are transmitted. A presence indication of an RFID tag in one of the plurality of RFID bands is detected. An interrogating signal having a carrier frequency tuned to a frequency at which the presence indication is detected is transmitted. A tag response signal comprising tag information associated with the RFID tag is received. A digital response signal based on the tag response signal is digital signal processed to obtain the tag information.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to radio-frequency identification (RFID)systems.

BACKGROUND

Conventional RFID devices operate on a single one of many possiblefrequencies and employ one of many different encoding schemes. Forexample, systems are currently available that operate at 125 kHz, 13.56MHz, 915 MHz, and 2.4 GHz. The RFID tags that are attached to the itemsto be tracked operate at only a single frequency and, in addition, mayuse unique and incompatible encoding schemes to transmit data at thatfrequency.

Current RFID systems operate by coupling the antenna of transceivers orRFID readers to the antenna of one or more “tags” attached to the itemsthat are to be tracked. Conventional RFID readers are designed to workonly with the tags supplied by a particular supplier. Readers are notdesigned to universally read multiple types of RFID tags. Thislimitation of the current readers may be attributable to thehardware-based processing of the response signal and decoding of the taginformation. Specific radio circuitry is used to sense the reflectedinformation from the RFID tag, filter the information, and shape itbefore it is fed to the processor. Although this technique is ratherstraightforward, it lacks the flexibility to deal with tags of differenttypes, e.g., tags based on different frequencies and/or encodingschemes.

SUMMARY

Embodiments described herein address the foregoing problems by providinga multi-mode RFID read device that is capable of handling differenttypes of RFID tags having different target frequencies and/or encodingschemes.

Certain embodiments provide a method of reading RFID tags. The methodcan comprise transmitting one or more search signals covering aplurality of RFID bands. The method can further comprise detecting apresence indication of an RFID tag in one of the plurality of RFIDbands. The method can further comprise reading the RFID tag.

Certain embodiments provide a method of reading RFID tags. The methodcan comprise transmitting one or more search signals covering aplurality of RFID bands. The method can further comprise detecting apresence indication of an RFID tag in one of the plurality of RFIDbands. The method can further comprise transmitting an interrogatingsignal having a carrier frequency tuned to a frequency at which thepresence indication is detected. The method can further comprisereceiving a tag response signal from the RFID tag, the tag responsesignal comprising tag information associated with the RFID tag. Themethod can further comprise digital signal processing a digital responsesignal based on the tag response signal to obtain the tag information.

Certain embodiments provide an RFID read device. The device can comprisean antenna. The device can further comprise a processor configured totransmit one or more search signals covering a plurality of RFID bandsvia the antenna. The processor can be further configured to detect apresence indication of an RFID tag in one of the plurality of RFIDbands. The processor can be further configured to read the RFID tagbased on a response signal received from the tag. The tag responsesignal can comprise tag information associated with the RFID tag. Thedevice can further comprise an analog-to-digital converter configured toproduce a digital response signal based on the tag response signal. Theprocessor can be further configured to digital signal process thedigital response signal to obtain the tag information.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing summary and the followingdetailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended toprovide further explanation of the embodiments as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate disclosed embodiments andtogether with the description serve to explain the principles of thedisclosed embodiments. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary multi-mode RFID readdevice according to certain embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating another exemplary multi-mode RFIDread device according to certain embodiments;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating yet another exemplary multi-modeRFID read device according to certain embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for searchingfor and reading RFID tags in multiple RFID bands according to certainembodiments;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for generatingand transmitting a modulated interrogating signal to an RFID tagaccording to certain embodiments;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for receivingand processing a response signal from an RFID tag according to certainembodiments; and

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a computer system upon whichcertain embodiments may be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are setforth to provide a full understanding of the disclosed and claimedembodiments. It will be apparent, however, to one ordinarily skilled inthe art that the embodiments may be practiced without some of thesespecific details. In other instances, well-known structures andtechniques have not been shown in detail to avoid unnecessarilyobscuring the disclosure.

The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example,instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment or design described herein as“exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred oradvantageous over other embodiments or designs.

The embodiments of the present disclosure address and solve problems ofconventional RFID systems which normally can be employed with only asingle type of RFID tags. The embodiments of the present disclosureprovide a multi-mode RFID read device that is capable of handlingmultiple types of RFID tags based on different target frequencies (e.g.,125 kHz, 13.56 MHz, 915 MHz, and 2.4 GHz) and/or encoding schemes (e.g.,ISO18000). This device employs a processor that performs in software atleast some of the functions conventionally performed by dedicatedsingle-frequency hardware components. Such functions may include, butare not limited to: generation and modulation of a carrier signal; anddemodulation, filtering of a response signal from an RFID, and decodingof tag information. Certain embodiments of the multi-mode RFID readdevice are configured to demodulate and decode different RFID systemsoperating within the total bandwidth of its capabilities, handlemultiple frequency RFID tags, and process any defined encodingalgorithms. In addition, new frequencies and encoding schemes can beadded to its capabilities by reprogramming the processor without makinghardware modifications.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary multi-mode RFID readdevice 100 according to certain embodiments. The device 100 includes aprocessor 101, a set of antennas 103, an antenna selection switch 105, alocal oscillator 113, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 114, amodulator 115, an output amplifier 117, an input amplifier 121, ademodulator 123, and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 125. Incertain embodiments, the modulator 115 and the demodulator 123 are aquadrature modulator and a quadrature demodulator, respectively.

A first output of the processor 101 is connected to a control input ofthe local oscillator 113, a second output of the processor 101 isconnected to a digital input of the D/A converter 115, and a thirdoutput of the processor 101 is connected to a selection input of theantenna selection switch 105. A signal output of the local oscillator113 is connected to a first (carrier) input of the quadrature modulator115, and an analog output of the D/A converter 114 is connected to asecond (modulation) input of the modulator 115. An output of themodulator 115 is connected to an input of the output amplifier 117, andan output of the output amplifier 117 is connected to a common terminalof the antenna selection switch 105. A set of selectable terminals ofthe antenna selection switch 105 are connected to the set of antennas103. The common terminal of the antenna selection switch 105 is alsoconnected to an input of the input amplifier 121. An output of the inputamplifier 121 is connected to a first input of the quadraturedemodulator 123. A second input of the demodulator 123 is connected tothe signal output of the demodulator 123. An output of the demodulator123 is connected to an analog input of the A/D converter 125. A digitaloutput of the A/D converter 125 is connected to an input port of theprocessor 101.

The processor 101 is configured (e.g., programmed) to search and readmultiple types of RFID tags. An exemplary search operation of the RFIDread device 100 is now described. The processor 101 transmits a searchsignal over a plurality of RFID bands. As used herein “a search signal”can include a collection of RFID band search signals covering multipleRFID bands to be searched. For example, a search signal can include afirst search signal for a first RFID hand, a second search signal for asecond RFID band, and a third search signal for a third RFID band. Byway of example, assume that the RFID read device 100 is designed to readthree RFID bands, namely, 125 kHz, 13.56 MHz, and 915 MHz bands. Theprocessor 100 transmits a first search signal for the 125 kHz band andsearches for an indication of presence of an RFID tag. In the case of apassive RFID (e.g., a tag without its own power source), the tagpresence indication can be in the form of a sudden drop in the energy ofa reflected search signal due to short-circuiting of an antenna in anRFID tag If a tag presence indication is detected within the 125 kHzbandwidth, the processor 101 attempts to read the RFID tag bytransmitting an interrogating or energizing signal in a target frequency(e.g., the frequency at which the tag presence is detected) in themanner to be described below.

A search signal for a particular RFID band can be a relatively broadbandsignal covering the band's entire bandwidth (e.g., from about 900 MHz toabout 928 MHz for the 915 MHz band) transmitted at one time.Alternatively, a search signal can include a set of relativelynarrowband search signals (e.g., slices) sequentially transmitted tosweep the entire bandwidth. The above steps are repeated for the otherbandwidths, e.g., 13.56 MHz, and 914 MHz.

It should be noted that in certain embodiments, a plurality of antennas,such as the set of antennas 103 shown in FIG. 1, are provided. This isbecause a transceiver antenna that can transmit and receive a signal(e.g., a search or interrogating signal) in one RFID band can bedifferent from a transceiver antenna that can transmit and receive asignal in another RFID band. For example, an antenna in the 13.57 MHzband can be a loop antenna designed to be responsive primarily to an RFmagnetic field whereas an antenna for the 2.4 GHz band can be a dipoleantenna designed to be responsive to an electric field. Accordingly,between searching or reading from one RFID band to another RFID band, itmay be necessary to switch the transceiver antenna by providing, forexample, a selection output from the processor 101 to the selectioninput of the antenna switch 105. In some embodiments, a singletransceiver antenna having a fundamental frequency covering one of theplurality of RFID bands and one or more harmonic frequencies coveringone or more remaining RFID bands can be used in place of a set ofantennas 103 shown in FIG. 1 or in conjunction with one or more otherantennas.

As indicated above, when the processor 101 detects presence of an RFIDtag in a given bandwidth (e.g., 125 kHz), the processor 101 attempts toread the RFID tag by transmitting an interrogating or energizing signal.An exemplary read operation performed by the RFID device 100 is nowdescribed. The processor 101 outputs a signal indicative of a targetfrequency (e.g., the frequency at which the tag presence is detected) tothe local oscillator 113. The local oscillator 113 is configured torespond to the signal from the processor 101 by generating a carriersignal oscillating at one of the frequencies associated with themultiple types of RFID tags that the device 100 is configured to handle.In certain embodiments, the local oscillator 113 is a phase-locked loop(PLL) synthesizer, which can generate a variety of output frequencies asmultiples of a single reference frequency. In such embodiments, thesignal indicative of the target frequency provided by the processor 101can include data representing a multiplicative factor for the PLLsynthesizer. In other embodiments, the local oscillator 113 may be avoltage controlled oscillator (VCO).

The processor 101 also generates a digital modulation signal that isbased on a modulation scheme associated with the selected type of RFIDtag. The modulation scheme can involve an amplitude-modulation, afrequency-modulation, or a combination of both. The modulation signal isfed into the DAC 114 which converts the digital modulation signal intoan analog modulation signal. The analog modulation signal is alsoreferred to as a “lower-frequency” signal or a “baseband” signal owingto the fact that the signal varies at a frequency that is typicallylower than the frequency of the carrier signal.

The carrier signal (oscillating at the target frequency) generated bythe local oscillator 113 and the analog modulation signal generated bythe DAC 114 are fed into the modulator 115 which mixes the signals in ananalog domain via an analog mixer (not shown) and generates a modulated“interrogating” or “energizing” signal to be transmitted to an RFID tagvia the antenna 103 after being amplified by the output amplifier 117.The interrogating signal comprises the carrier signal modulated by themodulation signal. In some embodiments, the carrier signal isamplitude-modulated by the modulation signal. In other embodiments, thecarrier signal is frequency-modulated by the modulation signal. Theantenna 103 can be a loop antenna (with a single or multiple loops)having broadband characteristics to cover the range of frequenciesassociated with different types of RFID tags that the multi-mode RFIDread device 100 is designed to handle.

The interrogating signal thus transmitted creates an electromagnetic(EM) field that induces an AC current in an antenna of a passive RFIDtag shown in the drawing within the field, such as RFID tag 131, forexample. This AC current is rectified and the resultant DC current thencharges a capacitor in the tag 131. When the voltage signal on thecapacitor is sufficient, an active electronic device in the tag circuit(not shown) is activated. Once activated, the electronic device in thetag shorts the tag antenna in a sequence of short intervals that isencoded to contain certain tag information, usually ID (e.g., anidentifier character string) unique to the tag. The tag information mayinclude, in addition to the unique ID, additional non-volatileinformation, such as price, quantity, or manufacturing data, associatedwith the article(s) to which the tag is attached. When the tag antennais shorted, an additional load is created on the antenna 103 of the RFIDread device 100 which induces a drop in voltage on the antenna 103. Thisresponse or “reflected” signal changes or induces a voltage signal atthe antenna 103.

The above description relating to the RFID tag applies to passive RFIDtags, which do not contain their own power sources and which reflectincoming interrogating signals in the manner described above. ActiveRFID tags, on the other hand, contain their own power sources and canactively generate response signals. It shall be appreciated by thoseskilled in the art in view of the present disclosure that the system andmethod disclosed herein can be equally applied to reading active RFIDtags as well as passive RFID tags bearing in mind that the active RFIDtags would receive an interrogating signal thus transmitted and activelygenerate a response signal, rather than merely reflecting theinterrogating signal in the manner described above applicable to passiveRFID tags. The actively generated response signal would be processed bythe RFID device 100 in much the same way as described above.

Returning to FIG. 1, the voltage signal induced by the response signalis fed into the input amplifier 121 and then into the demodulator 123along with the carrier signal oscillating at the target frequency outputby the local oscillator 113. The output of the demodulator 123 is anintermediate frequency (IF) response signal. The IF response signal isthen fed into the ADC 125 that converts the IF response signal into adigital response signal. The processor 101 receives the digital responsesignal and performs a digital signal processing operation includingdigitally filtering the digital response signal and decoding the taginformation based on a decoding algorithm associated with the selectedtype of RFID tag. The processor 101 can then determine what tag(s)is(are) within the field region of the read device 100 and report thisinformation as well as any other additional information contained in theresponse signal) to an inventory application or end user. The processor101 can be programmed to switch frequencies by controlling the localoscillator 113 (e.g., PLL synthesizer) and to repeat the process for anew RF target frequency to implement a multi-mode RFID read device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating another exemplary multi-mode RFIDread device 200 according to certain embodiments. The device 200includes a processor 201, a set of antennas 203, an antenna selectionswitch 205, a local oscillator 213, an output amplifier 217, an antenna203, an input amplifier 221, a demodulator 223, and an analog-to-digitalconverter (ADC) 225.

Again, in certain embodiments, a description of the search operation(e.g., transmitting a series of search signals to detect presence ofRFID tags in different RFID bands) for the RFID device 200 issubstantially the same as that of the exemplary search operation for theRFID device 100 of FIG. 1 provided above and is not repeated here.Instead, an exemplary read operation of the RFID read device 200 is nowdescribed with emphasis placed on what is different from the readoperation of the RFID read device 100.

In this device configuration, the processor 201 controls the localoscillator (e.g., a PLL synthesizer) which generates an RF carriersignal as described above. The RF carrier signal is fed into the outputamplifier 217 which has a control input (e.g., an on-off input). Thecontrol input is configured to receive a digital modulation signal fromthe processor 201 to amplitude modulate the carrier signal. In certainembodiments, the output of the amplifier 217 is a digitally modulatedinterrogating signal, a simple example being an on-off keying (OOK)signal. In such digitally modulated interrogating signals, the signalpower is kept large to indicate a binary “1” and small or zero torepresent a binary “0”. Alternatively, such digitally modulatedinterrogating signals can be generated by an amplifier in conjunctionwith a digitally-controlled analog switch. The output of the amplifier217 is connected to the antenna 203, which transmits the modulatedinterrogating signal.

On the reception side, a response signal carrying tag informationinduces a voltage signal at the antenna 203, which voltage signal is fedinto the input amplifier 221 and then demodulated by the demodulator 223with the carrier signal. The demodulated response signal is fed into theADC 225, which converts the demodulated response signal into digitalrepresentations of the response signal or more simply “a digitalresponse signal.” The digital response signal is then fed into theprocessor 201, wherein the digital response signal is digitally filteredand decoded to obtain the tag information encoded therein. This deviceconfiguration eliminates the need for a D/A converter and a modulator.As before, the processor 201 can be programmed to switch frequencies bycontrolling the local oscillator 213 (e.g., PLL synthesizer) and torepeat the process for a new RF frequency to implement a multi-mode RFIDread device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating another exemplary multi-mode RFIDread device 300 according to certain embodiments. The device 300includes a processor 301, a set of antennas 303, an antenna selectionswitch 305, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 314, an output amplifier317, an antenna 303, an input amplifier 321, and an analog-to-digitalconverter (ADC) 325.

Again, in certain embodiments, a description of the search operation(e.g., transmitting a series of search signals to detect presence ofRFID tags in different RFID bands) for the RFID device 300 issubstantially the same as that of the exemplary search operation for theRFID device 100 of FIG. 1 provided above and is not repeated here.Instead, an exemplary read operation of the RFID read device 300 is nowdescribed with emphasis placed on what is different from the readoperation of the RFID read devices 100 and 200.

In this device configuration, the processor 301 is of a sufficient speedand capability so as to directly generate digital representation of amodulated interrogation signal. In this configuration, the processor 301can programmatically perform the modulation in digital domain versusanalog domain as in the device configurations described above withrespect to FIGS. 1 and 2. Alternatively, the device 300 may also includea memory (not shown) that is in data communication with the processor301 and configured to store various sets of digital representations ofmodulated interrogating signals designed for different types of RFIDtags. The processor 301 can then retrieve a particular set of digitalrepresentations corresponding to a selected RFID tag type to be read andthe digital representations to be fed into the DAC 314, either directlyfrom the memory or via the processor 301. The digital representationsare converted to an analog modulated interrogating signal through theDAC 314. The interrogating signal can be either frequency or amplitudemodulated depending on a particular modulation scheme employed. Themodulated interrogating signal is then amplified and fed into theantenna 303 and transmitted.

On the reception side, a voltage signal at the antenna 303 induced by aresponse signal from an RFID tag is fed into the input amplifier 321 andinto the ADC 325 and then directly into the processor 301. The processor301 then digitally demodulates, filters, and decodes the signal toobtain the tag information. The carrier frequency of the modulatedinterrogating signal can be easily changed as it is directly controlledby the processor 301. This implementation is reduced in terms of thenumber of hardware components compared to the implementations of FIGS. 1and 2, but requires higher-bandwidth components and a higher performanceprocessor to handle additional functions performed in the digitaldomain. Such a high performance processor may include a digital mediaprocessor, model no TMS320DM6431 manufactured by Texas Instruments andhaving a processing speed of 2400 MIPS. However, this digital signalprocessor is exemplary only.

It shall be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the exemplarymulti-mode RFID read devices shown in FIGS. 1-3 are provided forillustration purposes only, and should not be taken as limiting. Forinstance, some of the features of the illustrated examples can be mixedand matched. For example, in alternative embodiments, the modulation canbe performed in the digital domain while the demodulation can beperformed in the analog domain or vice versa.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for search andread operations of a multi-mode RFID read device according to certainembodiments. The process 400 starts at state 410 and proceeds to a state420, in which a search signal for a first RFID band (e.g. 125 kHz) in aset of RFID bands (e.g., 125 kHz, 13.56 MHz, and 915 MHz bands) that thedevice is designed to read is transmitted. In certain embodiments,transmitting the search signal for a particular RED band includestransmitting one relatively broadband signal having a spectrum thatsubstantially covers the band's entire bandwidth (e.g., from about 900MHz to about 928 MHz for the 915 MHz band). In other embodiments,transmitting the search signal includes sweeping a frequency (e.g.,transmitting a series of narrowband signals or “slices”) substantiallyover the band's entire bandwidth. The choice of bands or portions of oneor more bands that are searched, and hence the choice of search signals,may depend on the types of RFID tags being searched. For example, if itis known that RFID tags of interest are supported by only a certainspectral portion of a particular RFID band, the search signal can beconfigured to sweep or cover only that spectral portion instead of theentire bandwidth.

The process 400 proceeds to a decision state 420, in which a query ismade as to whether a tag presence indication is detected in response tothe transmitted search signal. In the case of a passive RFID tag, theindication can include a drop in the strength of the reflected searchsignal. In the case of an active RFID tag, the indication can include a“chirp” signal transmitted on the same or a different frequency by theactive RFID tag. Tithe answer to the query at the decision state 430 isNo (no tag presence indication detected), the process 400 proceeds toanother decision state 470, in which a query is made as to whether thereis another hand to search in the set of RFID bands to be read by theRFID read device. If the answer to the query at the decision state 430is Yes (tag presence indication detected), the process 400 proceeds to astate 440A,B where an attempt is made to read a possible RFID tag. Theread processes are described below with respect to FIGS. 5 and 6. Afterthe read attempt, the process 400 proceeds to a decision state 450, inwhich a query is made as to whether the read was successful. If theanswer to the query at the decision state 450 is Yes (read successful),the process 400 proceeds to a state 460, in which a tag output (e.g. IDfor the RFID tag) is provided, for example, to a display or a database.After the tag output provision, the process 400 proceeds to a decisionstate 470. On the other hand, if the answer to the query at the decisionstate 450 is No (read unsuccessful), the process 400 proceeds to thedecision state 470 without providing the tag output.

If the answer to the query at the decision state 470 is Yes (anotherband to search), the process 400 proceeds to a state 480, in which asearch signal for the next. RFID band (e.g., 13.56 MHz) is transmittedand proceeds to the decision state 430 after searching or listening fora tag presence indication. On the other hand, if the answer to the queryat the decision state 470 is No (no other band to search), e.g., becauseall bands in the set have been searched, the process 400 loops back tothe state 420, in which a search signal for the first band (e.g., 125kHz) is again transmitted and the remaining states described above arerepeated.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process 440A forgenerating and transmitting an interrogating signal to read an RFID tagaccording to certain embodiments. The process 440A starts at state 510and proceeds to a state 520, in which a carrier signal (e.g., an RFsignal) oscillating at a target frequency (e.g., the frequency at whichthe tag presence indication is detected) is generated. The carriersignal generation can be performed by a local oscillator which receivesa signal indicative of the target frequency (e.g., data representing amultiplicative factor for a PLL synthesizer) from the processor asdescribed above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2.

The process 440A proceeds to a state 530, in which a modulation signalis generated. The modulation signal can be an analog modulation signalthat is generated by a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) convertingdigital representations of a modulation signal provided by a processoras described above with respect to FIG. 1. Alternatively, the modulationsignal can be a digital modulation signal output by a processor, whichcan be used to digitally modulate a carrier signal, as described abovewith respect to FIG. 2.

The process 440A proceeds to a state 540, in which a modulatedinterrogating signal is generated. In certain embodiments, this can beachieved by an analog modulator, such as the modulator 115 shown in FIG.1, that mixes a carrier signal with an analog modulation signal asdescribed above with respect to FIG. 1. In other embodiments, this canbe achieved by an amplifier having an on-off control input or anamplifier in conjunction with a separate digitally-controlled analogswitch as described above with respect to FIG. 2. In yet otherembodiments, a modulated interrogating signal can be generated directlyvia a digital-to-analog conversion of digital representations asdescribed above with respect to FIG. 3. In such embodiments, proceduresperformed at the states 520 and 530 may not be needed. The process 440Aproceeds to a state 550, in which the modulated interrogating signal,after an amplification, is transmitted via an antenna such as atransceiver antenna in the set of antennas 103 shown in FIG. 1, forexample. The process 440A ends at state 590.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process 440B forreceiving and processing a response signal to read an RFID tag accordingto certain embodiments. The process 440B starts at state 610 andproceeds to a state 620, in which a response signal from an RFID tag isreceived by an antenna at a multi-mode RFID read device. The responsesignal may be a signal reflected from a passive RFID tag or a signalgenerated by an active RFID tag. The process 440B proceeds to a state630, in which a voltage signal at the antenna induced by the responsesignal is amplified. The process 440B then proceeds to a decision state640, in which a query is made as to whether the response signal is to bedemodulated in an analog domain, e.g., by a dedicated hardwaredemodulator, as in FIGS. 1 and 2; or in a digital domain, e.g., by aprocessor, as in FIG. 3. This decision state is provided forillustrating two types (analog and digital) of demodulation, and itshall be appreciated that such a query is typically not made in aparticular embodiment of the multi-mode RFID read device. This isbecause such a device is likely to be preconfigured for either an analogor digital modulation operation.

If the answer to the query at the decision state 640 is “analog” (analogdemodulation embodiments), the process 440B enters an analogdemodulation branch and proceeds a state 651, in which the amplifiedresponse signal is demodulated in the analog domain, e.g., by adedicated analog demodulator such as the demodulators 123, 223 shown inFIGS. 1 and 2. In the analog demodulation branch, the process 440Bfurther proceeds to a state 661, in which a digital response signal(e.g., digital representations of the demodulated response signal) isproduced, e.g., by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) such as the ADCs125, 225 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

On the other hand, if the answer to the query at the decision state 640is “digital” (digital demodulation embodiments), the process 440B entersa digital demodulation branch and proceeds to a state 653, in which, theamplified response signal is converted into a digital response signal(e.g., digital representations of the response signal) by an ADC such asthe ADC 325 shown in FIG. 3. In the digital modulation branch, theprocess 440B proceeds to a state 663, in which the digital responsesignal is digitally demodulated by a processor as described above withrespect to FIG. 3.

For both analog and demodulation embodiments, the process 440B convergesat a state 670, in which the digital response signal (which is nowdemodulated) is subjected to a digital filtering process by a processor.The type of digital filtering applied depends on the type of RFID tagbeing read and its associated frequency and encoding scheme. The process440B proceeds to a state 680, in which the processor decodes thedemodulated and filtered digital response signal to obtain taginformation encoded therein. The process 440B ends at state 690.

It shall be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the exemplaryprocesses shown in FIGS. 4-6 are provided for illustration purposesonly, and should not be taken as limiting. For instance, referring toFIG. 5, the generation of the modulation signal at the state 530 isperformed typically at the same time as the generation of the carriersignal at the state 520. In some embodiments similar to thoseillustrated in FIG. 3, the states 520 and 530 can be eliminated.Referring to FIG. 6, the digital demodulation at the state 663 can beperformed after or at the same time as the digital filtering at thestate 670, for example.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram that illustrates an exemplary computer system700 upon which certain embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented.Computer system 700 includes a bus 702 or other communication mechanismfor communicating information, and a processor 704 coupled with bus 702for processing information. Computer system 700 also includes a memory706, such as a random access memory (“RAM”) or other dynamic storagedevice, coupled to bus 702 for storing information and instructions tobe executed by processor 704. Memory 706 may also be used for storingtemporary variables or other intermediate information during executionof instructions by processor 704. Computer system 700 further includes adata storage device 710, such as a magnetic disk or optical disk,coupled to bus 702 for storing information and instructions.

Computer system 700 may be coupled via I/O module 708 to a displaydevice (not illustrated), such as a cathode ray tube (“CRT”) or liquidcrystal display (“LCD”) for displaying information to a computer user.An input device, such as, for example, a keyboard or a mouse may also becoupled to computer system 700 via I/O module 708 for communicatinginformation and command selections to processor 704.

According to certain embodiments, certain aspects of generating amodulated interrogating signal and processing a response signal from anRFID tag are performed by a computer system 700 in response to processor704 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructionscontained in memory 706. Processor 704 may be a microprocessor, amicrocontroller, and a digital signal processor (DSP) capable ofexecuting computer instructions. Such instructions may be read intomemory 706 from another machine-readable medium, such as data storagedevice 710. Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in mainmemory 706 causes processor 704 to perform the process steps describedherein. One or more processors in a multi-processing arrangement mayalso be employed to execute the sequences of instructions contained inmemory 706. In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be usedin place of or in combination with software instructions to implementvarious embodiments. Thus, embodiments are not limited to any specificcombination of hardware circuitry and software.

The term “machine-readable medium” as used herein refers to any mediumthat participates in providing instructions to processor 704 forexecution. Such a medium may take many forms, including, but not limitedto, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media.Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, suchas data storage device 710. Volatile media include dynamic memory, suchas memory 706. Transmission media include coaxial cables, copper wire,and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise bus 702.Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic or light waves,such as those generated during radio frequency and infrared datacommunications. Common forms of machine-readable media include, forexample, floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, anyother magnetic medium, a CD-ROM. DVD, any other optical medium, punchcards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, aRAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH EPROM, any other memory chip orcartridge, a carrier wave, or any other medium from which a computer canread.

The foregoing description is provided to enable any person skilled inthe art to practice the various embodiments described herein. While theforegoing embodiments have been particularly described with reference tothe various figures and embodiments, it should be understood that theseare for illustration purposes only and should not be taken as limitingthe scope of the invention.

There may be many other ways to implement the invention. Variousfunctions and elements described herein may be partitioned differentlyfrom those shown without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art, and generic principles definedherein may be applied to other embodiments. Thus, many changes andmodifications may be made to the invention, by one having ordinary skillin the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

A reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “oneand only one” unless specifically stated, but rather “one or more.” Theterm “some” refers to one or more. Underlined and/or italicized headingsand subheadings are used for convenience only, do not limit theinvention, and are not referred to in connection with the interpretationof the description of the invention. All structural and functionalequivalents to the elements of the various embodiments of the inventiondescribed throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to beknown to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporatedherein by reference and intended to be encompassed by the invention.Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to thepublic regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited inthe above description.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of reading a radio frequencyidentification (RFID) tag, the method comprising: transmitting a searchsignal comprising a broadband signal covering the entire bandwidth of anRFID band; selecting a target frequency in the RFID band based on aresponse to the search signal; generating in a processor a digitalrepresentation of an interrogating signal, the interrogating signalcomprising a baseband signal and a carrier signal having the selectedtarget frequency; converting the digital representation of theinterrogating signal to an analog signal in a digital-to-analogconverter (DAC); providing the analog signal to a selected antenna fromone of at least two antennas, a first one of the at least two antennasassociated with the RFID band and a second one of the at least twoantennas associated with a different RFID band; broadcasting the analogsignal using the selected antenna; detecting a response from the RFIDtag by measuring a change in a voltage on the selected antenna; andreading the RFID tag.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting theinterrogating signal comprises providing the analog signal to theselected antenna.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprisingconverting the measured change in the voltage on the selected antenna toa digital signal in an analog-to-digital converter (ADC).
 4. The methodof claim 3, wherein reading the RFID tag comprises: receiving thedigital signal with the processor; and demodulating with the processorthe digital signal using the carrier signal having the target frequency;wherein reading the RFID tag comprises decoding of the demodulateddigital signal.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the target frequencyis selected from RFID bands that are associated with target frequenciesof 125 kHz, 13.56 MHz, 915 MHz, and 2.4 GHz.
 6. The method of claim 1,further comprising selecting a second target frequency based on a secondresponse to the search signal.
 7. A radio frequency identification(RFID) device comprising: first and second antennas respectivelyassociated with first and second RFID bands; a digital-to-analogconverter (DAC) having an output and an input; an analog-to-digitalconverter (ADC) having an input and an output; an antenna selectionswitch coupled to the output of the DAC and the input of the ADC andselectably coupled to one of the first and second antennas; and aprocessor operatively coupled to the antenna selection switch and havingan output connected to the input of the DAC and an input connected tothe output of the ADC, the processor configured to: configure the firstantenna to transmit a first search signal comprising a first broadbandsignal covering the first RFID band; configure the second antenna totransmit a second search signal comprising a second broadband signalcovering the second RFID band; determine a selected target frequency inthe first RFID band or the second RFID band based on a response to thefirst and second broadband signals; configure the antenna selectionswitch to select one of the first and second antennas based on theselected target frequency; provide a first digital signal on theprocessor output that comprises a digital representation of a modulatedinterrogating signal comprising a carrier frequency signal modulated bya baseband signal at the target frequency; receive a second digitalsignal on the processor input; demodulate the second digital signal toremove the carrier frequency signal; and decode the demodulated seconddigital signal.
 8. The device of claim 7, wherein: the processorcomprises a memory configured to store a plurality of digitalrepresentations of modulated interrogating signals; and the processor isfurther configured to retrieve one of the plurality of digitalrepresentations of modulated interrogating signals and provide theretrieved one of the plurality of digital representations of modulatedinterrogating signals as the first digital signal.
 9. The device ofclaim 7, wherein the selected target frequency is selected from RFIDbands that are associated with target frequencies of 125 kHz, 13.56 MHz,915 MHz, and 2.4 GHz.
 10. The device of claim 9, wherein the processorcomprises a memory configured to store a plurality of sets ofinformation respectively associated with a plurality of types of RFIDtags, each set comprising a respective encoding scheme and a RFIDfrequency band.
 11. The device of claim 10, wherein the memory comprisesfirst and second sets of information associated with first and secondRFID tags having different RFID bands.
 12. The device of claim 11,wherein the different RFID bands comprise 125 kHz, 13.56 MHz, 915 MHz,and 2.4 GHz bands.
 13. The device of claim 7, wherein the input of theADC receives a voltage on the first or second antenna, wherein a changein the voltage represents a signal reflected from a passive RFID tag.14. The device of claim 7, wherein the input of the ADC receives avoltage on one of the first and second antennas, wherein a change in thevoltage represents a signal generated by an active RFID tag.
 15. Thedevice of claim 7, wherein one of the first and second antennascomprises a set of transceiver antennas, each of the transceiverantennas configured to transmit and receive a signal in a different RFIDband.
 16. The device of claim 7, wherein one of the first and secondantennas comprises a single transceiver antenna having a fundamentalfrequency covering one of the first and second RFID bands and one ormore harmonic frequencies covering one or more remaining RFID bands. 17.A radio frequency identification (RFID) device comprising: at least twoantennas respectively associated with at least two RFID bands associatedwith first and second target frequencies wherein the first targetfrequency is at least twice the second target frequency; a modulatorhaving an output and first and second inputs; a demodulator having afirst input and a second input and an output; an antenna selectionswitch coupled to the output of the modulator and the first input of thedemodulator and selectably coupled to one of the at least two antennas;a local oscillator having an output connected to the first input of themodulator and the second input of the demodulator, the oscillatorconfigured to provide an analog carrier signal at an operationalfrequency selected from the at least two RFID bands and to accept asignal indicative of the operational frequency; a digital-to-analogconverter (DAC) having an output connected to the second input of themodulator and an input; an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) having aninput connected to the output of the demodulator and an output; and aprocessor operatively coupled to the antenna selection switch and havinga first output connected to an input of the oscillator, a second outputconnected to the input of the DAC, and an input connected to the outputof the ADC, the processor configured to: configure one of the at leasttwo antennas to transmit a search signal comprising a broadband signalcovering the entire bandwidth of one of the at least two RFID bands;determine the operational frequency based on a response to the searchsignal; provide the signal indicative of the operational frequency onthe first output; configure the antenna selection switch to select oneof the at least two antennas that is associated with the operationalfrequency; provide a baseband signal on the second output; receive adigital signal on the input; and decode the digital signal.
 18. Thedevice of claim 17, wherein the local oscillator comprises aphase-locked loop (PLL) synthesizer.
 19. The device of claim 17, whereinthe modulator provides on the output an analog modulation signal that isa quadrature-encoded signal.
 20. The device of claim 17, wherein themodulator provides on the output an analog modulation signal thatcomprises a frequency modulation of the carrier signal.
 21. The deviceof claim 17, wherein the modulator provides on the output an analogmodulation signal that comprises an amplitude-modulation of the carriersignal.
 22. The device of claim 17 wherein the operational frequency isselected from target frequencies of 125 kHz, 13.56 MHz, 915 MHz, and 2.4GHz.